Along with the development of network communication technology, the application of the optical network's communications is increasingly popular. In a traditional optical network, services are typically set in a static way. However, Automatic Switched Optical Network (ASON) has an additional function of generating a service automatically on the basis of a traditional optical network, making an optical network transformed into a comprehensive system with both a transmission function and a function for switching from a system simply for implementing a transmission function. In ASON, channels for bearing services and switching nodes constitute a transmission plane. In addition, the interaction of control information between the nodes is needed to perform the automatic switching function, which constructs a data communication network based on the Internet Protocol (IP) in ASON. This data communication network constitutes a control plane.
In ASON, an appropriate ID is set for each network element so as to ensure the reliable transfer of data and control information between the network elements.
At present, each network element in ASON is set statically with only one ID for uniquely identifying this network element in a network. At the same time, the ID may be used as an IP address of the network element in a control plane, which makes the ID identical with the IP address, while it is also possible to set an IP address for a network element which is different from the ID thereof.
Along with the developing of network services, however, networks have to be re-organized when being enlarged or reconstructed. In such cases, it is needed for each network element to carry out a new service by using a new ID. Since a network element is identified by an ID in ASON, all the services are generated on that ID. So if just changing the existing ID into a new ID in order to carry out a new service, all the previous services will be disabled. On the other hand, if continuing using the existing ID to implement a new service, it would be also possible that the existing ID is unable to meet the demand of the new service.